Retort-furnace.



PATENTED NOV. 6, 1906.

P. BROWN.

RETORT FURNACB.

APPLICATION FILED 0012.24. 1904.

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PATENTED NOV. 6, 1906.

P. BROWN. RETORT FURNACE.

APPLIOATIoN FILED 001224, 1004.

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Uniiigirn- STATES inifriaiwiI OFFICE.

PETER BROWN, BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON,

ASSIGN OR TO TROY CHEMICAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY (LIMITED), TROY, IDAHO.

RETQRT-FURNACE. N0. 835,237. Specification of Letters Patent:- Patented Nov. 6, 1906.

Application filed October 24,1904. Serial No. 229.855.

To all whoml it may concern:

Beit known that I, PETER BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at 119 Unity street, in the city of Bellingham, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in Retort-Fur'naces, of which the ollowing is a specification.

My invention pertains to furnaces and retorts for the reduction of charcoal and the distillation o woods.

The objects of the invention are to produce improved features of construction and arement of parts to eiect the results hereina er specified; and the invention consists in the features which will be hereinafter described and then sought to be clearly defined by the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section lengthwise of the furnace on the line 1 1 Fig. 2 is a plan or horizontal section of the furnace, showin the location of the several retorts used in t e same. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the furnace on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of the retort, w a portion broken away, and of the connect' and discharging pipe. Fig. 5 is an enlarge detail, with the parts magnified, showing the manner of-closing the end of the retort and also showing a section of the furnace-chamber hearth. Fig. 6 is an end View showing the hand-lever for operating the attaching and detacliing pipe within the retort.

Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several views.

My invention comprises a furnace-chamber 1, having an inclined hearth 2, said furnace being suitably constructed with materials commonly used in furnace masonry. The ends of the furnace are provided with the close-fitting sliding doors 3 and 4. The furnace is heated from the combustion-chamber 5, having flue-opening 6 into the furnacechamber 1 at the lower end of the hearth, as seen in Fi s. 1 and 3. A flue 7 at the opposite end o? the furnace carries off the waste products of combustion.

My furnace is designed to contain a number of air-tight retorts, as shown at 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. These retorts are constructed of sheet metal of suitable thickness and strength and are reinforced with stays or hoops 16. One end of each retort is closed with a sheetthrough ope metal cap securely riveted thereto, as shown in Fig. 4 at 17. In the center of this endis provided an opening 18, so made as to receive a cone-shaped fitting 19 on the end of the attachable and detachable pipe 20. This cone-shaped fitting is provided with an asbestos collar or gasket 21 which provides an airtight connection when pressed into the necked opening 18. The attachable and detachable i e 20 is moved back and forth by means ofi-)the hand-lever 22, pivotally connected with the pipe and jointed to the link 22a, pivotally connected to the ear 22". It will be observed "that the attachable and detachable pipe 20 has a telescopic eX ansionjoint 23 with the xed pipe 24. s conducts the gaseous bydensin coils and col ection tanks. (Not shown. This telescopic expansion-joint is also provided with an asbestos asket 25, whereby the joint is made tight. he opposite end of each retort is closed with a sheetmetal cover 26. This cover is preferably made of copper or other suitable material and so that the saine may be sli ped onto the end of the retort with ease. T e wall of the retort at its end is provided with a grooved ring or block 27, brazed or riveted thereto, and the iange 28 of the sheet-metal cover is slip ed over 27 and sprung, so as to conform to t e groove in 27. A stout wire 2.9 is then coiled about the flange 28, pressing same down into choi'ed-in p ace by twisting its ends together, thus forming an air-tight cover to the end of the retort.

The gaseous by-products from the retorts are condensed and collected in a manner common to such operations and 'comprise no novelty in connection with my invention.

Near the telescopic expansion-joint 23 I attach a blow-off trap 30. This trap forms a seal that prevents the liquid by-products from escaping from the pipe and at the same time will indicate when the pipes between the telescopic joint and condensin -tank is stopped up, and the same will low o if ning131, and the operator will know that the pipes require cleaning out.

To o erate my invention, iirst heat the furnace-c amber 1 by building a fire in the combustion-chamber 5 and heat the furnace to the desired temperature. Then fill the retort with wood and seal the end 26, as prerodi'icts to the conocve 27. The wire is then anare sufficiently heated to produce a (piantity `of 1 gas'f within the collecting tan shown) the-gas thus produced may be used Aend of the viously described, and allow. it to rollinto the furnace to the position shown by retort 12, the retort Vbein -held in that position by empty retorts in a vance of it or otherwise, an attach the pipe 20 thereto, said pi e passing through the wall of the furnace y means of the sealing-joint 19. I allow this retort to stay in this position until the lighter by-products are drawn 0H the wood, when it is disconnected and allowed to roll down the inclined hearth 2 to the position shown by retort numbered 11. A freshly-filled :retort is 2 then rolled in to. take its place and both retorts coupled to theirv res ective pipes 20.

After theseahaveremaine in this position for a suitable Itime the retort in the position -of retort 11 is detached from its pipe andal- -lowed to roll to the position indicated by re- --tort 10. The retort in the position of retort 2O A:moved to position shown by retort numbered -11, and-a freshly-filled retort is .rolled in to 12 is similarly detached from-.its pipe and take its Vplace .and coupled to its pipe 20.

This operation is continued until the furnace is filled with retorts, as shown in Figs. 1l and 2. When the woodis thoroughly charred in -the lowest retort, (shown in position of Vretort 8,) the door 3 is opened and retort 8 is 'allowed to lroll out onto the. truck 14, -as

shown by retort 13. A small movable block y32 is set upon the hearth to stop the retort at the proper lace at the lower end of the v`.hezpirth The oor 3 is then closed, and each -retort in turn is allowed to move down one space, and afreshly-iilledy retort again inserted through the sliding door 4 at the upper earth. This operation is continued indefinitely at the will of the operator.

Itis to be observed that after the retorts (s (not -as fuel for heating the furnace in producing charcoalfand by-products from wood. This is'doneby-meansof the gas-pipe 33, designed to be connected with the gas-collecting tank.

1This main pipe is connected with a lateral pipe 33, from which lead branch pipes 33h, lset -below the surface-of the hearth of the furnacefwith inlets between each pair of retorts,

.as shown.v at 34. These several pipes having -inlets in the .hearth of the furnace each has 1a valve 33 of any approved pattern for regu- :latin ctheflow of gas thereto, and gas may be supp ed therebyto each gas-inlet in a manner to secure any degree of heat desired. In adfditionto these gas-inlets an inlet is provided -ing along the furnace-top to the waste-flue 7.

The furnace now being heated by the gaseas creosote and tar, being collected from the retort at the lower end of the hearth just before the wood is reduced to charcoal.

After the lretort is allowed to roll outside of the furnace the opening 18 will be closed with a stopper-shaped plug and made airtight. The retort is then allowed to stand in the open air until the charcoal is thoroughly cooled. The end cover 26 is then removed by cutting the wire 29 and the charcoal removed from .the retort, when the same can be refilled and placed at the upper end of the furnace to be used again. The charcoal is sacked and prepared for market in the usual manner, and the by-products, as previously stated, are condensed during the operation of the furnace in a manner common to such operations, the process having no special novelty in connection with my invention.

It is to be observed that the furnace is constructed with a groove 2a, extending lengthwise of the hearth to receive a part of the retort-say the stout binding-wire 29, which forms a projection at that end of the retortso that when the adjustable connection 19 is pushed into the opening 18 the groove in connection with the proj ectingportion of the retort 28 fitting therein prevents the -retort being pushed back against the wall of the furnace, and the pressure of joint 19 against 18 holds the 'retort in place. The lever-arm 22 may be heldin place after the joint 19 is made tight against 18 by means of a hook 36 and chain 37 or otherwise.

To prevent the asbestos collar 21 from sticking to opening 1S of retort, I cover the said opening with graphite before the retort is rolled into the furnace, thus preventing the asbestos collar 421 from sticking to said opening 18, and the collar frees itself from 18 when the pi e 20 is pulled back from 18.

Having escribed my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is- 1. In a furnace for distillation of wood and making charcoal formed witha retort-re- IOC IKO

ceiving chamber, of a series of replaceable retorts in said chamber, each formed with a centrally-disposed openingiin one end to receive a pipe, and a .series of .pipes passing through the wall of the lfurnace and in alineretorts, and means located outside of the fur' nace and connected with said pipes for moving the ipes to couple them With and uncouple t em from the openings in the several retorts, substantially as described.

3. In a furnace for distillation of Wood and making charcoal formed With a retort-receiving chamber, of a series of replaceable retorts in said chamber, each formed with an opening in one end to receive a ipe, a series of plpes passing through the Wa l of the furnace and in alinement With the openings in the retorts, and capable of longitudinal movement to couple them With and uncouple them from the openings in the several retorts, means located outside of the furnace for moving said pipes, and a trap and blowoff for each of said pipes, substantially as described.

4. In a furnace for distillation of Wood and making charcoal formed With a retort-receiving chamber, of a series of retorts in said chamber, and a series of pipes connecting with said retorts, one for each retort, said pipes being capable of longitudinal movement to adapt them to be coupled to and unthereof, said pipe eing capable of coupled from said retorts, and each having a separate deliveryfiom the other for the byproducts escaping from the retorts so as to maintain the by-products from one retort separate from the y-products of another retort, substantially as described.

5. In a furnace for distillation of Wood and making charcoal formed with a retort-receiving chamber having a longitudinally-extending groove in its hearth, of a series of replaceable retorts in said chamber each retort aving at one end a part thereof fitting in the groove of the recelving-chamber hearth, a pipe in communication with each retort through its end op osite to the flan ed end Iongitudinal movement to enable it to be coupled to and uncoupled from the retort, and means for moving said ipe and holding it in position, substantial y as described.

6.- In a furnace for distillation of Wood and making charcoal formed With a retort-receiving chamber, of a c lindrical-shaped re.

tort in said chamber, said retort having a removable flanged cover, and means for holding it in place on the retort, said means comprising a grooved ring on the retort, and a Wire ap lied to the flange of the cover opposite to t e groove in said ring to press a part of the Bange into said groove, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

y PETER BROWN. Witnesses:

ERNEST Moon, HOMER W. MCFARLANE. 

